Drug Link Round-Up

Sorry for my lack of posting. I have no brilliant excuse, I just haven't had much to say lately. Anyway, here are the stories that have been catching my eye recently:

Canada signs on to fight poppy trade. Canadian troops will be helping drug-eradication efforts in Afghanistan. It is no secret that the opium crop has been increasing over the years, thanks to the poverty and the instability in the country. Poor farmers are increasingly turning to the opium trade to feed their families. There is one thing that both drug warriors and drug policy reformers agree on:

"Breaking this linkage [between drugs production and insurgent financing] is vital to creating a stable, prosperous and democratic, Afghanistan ..." says the communique, released after the closed-door gathering.

But drug policy reformers and drug warriors will never agree on the solution to the problem. I am increasingly disgusted by the way the International community refuses to see how the drug war is helping terrorist groups and failing to see that increased enforcement will increase the harm caused by drugs. What we need to do is legalize it. If we want to help the people of Afghanistan we should be buy the opium crops and use the opium for pain-killing medicine. We should legalize all of the opium that is being grown everywhere and get away from this ridiculous domination mentality which is ruining the planet.

And more stupidity! Britain is caught in the grip of reefer madness as there are continual reports of children being trafficked into the underground cannabis trade. The New Zealand Herald refers to these kids as cannabis slaves. I haven't read such ridiculous reefer madness since Emily Murphy's The Black Candle when she stated that:

"When coming from under the influence of (marijuana), the victims present the most horrible condition imaginable. They are dispossessed of their natural and normal willpower, and their mentality is that of idiots. If this drug is indulged to any great extent, it ends in the untimely death of its addict."

These cannabis slaves are apparently being forced to tend to these cannabis poison gardens. They have to water the plants and have to deal with the electrical dangers of grow-ops. You know this article is absolutely crazy reefer madness when you get to this prize quote:

Police believe organised crime gangs, largely Vietnamese, have moved quickly to dominate Britain's cannabis market after declassification in 2004 increased the potential rewards of growing and selling the drug and decreased the risks of punishment.

There is no reason to believe that the dangerous criminal gangs benefit from decriminalization in any way, as it is still illegal to grow or sell cannabis in the UK. There are simply decreased penalties for users. In fact, the criminal gangs benefit greatly from this situation and if the government wants to seriously harm the gangs, they simply have to put cannabis in the legitimate drug market. If you can buy cannabis at the corner store, there is no reason to buy it on the black market. This would have the added benefit of saving the children from the horrors of being cannabis slaves. Look at that, I have saved the children and a whole lot of money in one fell swoop.

We don't give our kids enough credit

The Winnipeg Free Press is at it again. They are clutching their pearls and hitting the fainting couch because kids are smart enough to prefer marijuana to tobacco and alcohol. Just have a look at these prize quotes:

Smoking Pot Is More Popular Than Puffing On Tobacco: Study

A new study that concludes Canadian teens smoke more marijuana than cigarettes doesn't surprise Manitoba addiction officials.

An increasing rate of marijuana smoking among young people is just one finding in a report about substance report released Wednesday. Researchers say the report should serve as a "call to action" to parents.

Those parents should be celebrating! Their kids are making a smart choice to stay away from cigarettes and go for "dope" instead. The only dopes are the ones that wrote this completely one-sided and biased article. I guess the authors don't realize that pot doesn't cause cancer, is less addictive than coffee and is far safer than alcohol or tobacco.

"We're not trying to say to these kids: 'don't use', because that doesn't necessarily work. What we're saying is, understand the risks associated with ( pot ) use, and hopefully that will lead to less use," he says.

This is wrong on so many levels that I hardly know where to begin. The reason pot is so popular has nothing to do with drug education at all. Pot is cool right now because drugs are like fashion - they go in and out of style all the time. Teaching kids the truth about pot is not going to discourage them from smoking it because the truth is that pot isn't very dangerous. It doesn't cause cancer, and everything causes cancer. If you want to discourage kids from smoking pot, we have to make it a lot less cool.

Legalize pot for the medical users and show mainstream pot-smokers as little old ladies in wheelchairs treating their cancer. There is nothing cool about that.

There are far more examples of stupid in the article but pointing them out would take far too long and be far too painful for me. I am going to finish the laundry instead. It's more entertaining.

I'm a better mother when I'm stoned

We can always find time to vilify mothers. If you are screwed up with a drinking habit, blame mom. You probably weren't breastfed as a baby. If you are a mom you can do no right. And as a reward for all those sleepless nights, saggy boobs and episiotomy scars, what thanks do we mothers get? Endless judgment and articles about all the ways that we mothers are WRONG.

I had the misfortune of reading yet another pile of crud heaped at mothers, with a huge dose of reefer madness thrown in for good measure. I am speaking of this monstrosity, posted on a trendy forum for trendy parents known as Babble.*

Now before I continue whining about all the ways that society dumps on the unpaid and unappreciated labor of mothers, let me back up. I actually enjoyed the article by the pot-smoking mother. I can definitely relate to having a few puffs before playing with the Legos. What is wrong with admitting that sometimes the inane games that kids want to play are somewhat tiresome and boring? There are times when I refuse to read the Berenstein bears again. Guess what? That hokey, cutesy-poo crap gets old. Of course I am going to admit proudly and loudly that moderate use of marijuana is wonderful. Since I have smoked it for years I know what I am talking about. I smiled and nodded in agreement as I read this article. I remember taking out the old one-hitter in the garage when I was at the end of my rope and coming back in the house a much calmer, happier and better parent.

I was annoyed to death by these thoughtless, ignorant people that dumped all over this poor mom for admitting to doing what 16.8% of the Canadian population does. Since I don't have the time or the inclination to quote the endless stupidity from that thread, let me summarize. The fears of the posters can be summarized like this:

1. What if your child finds out?

2. What if your child grows up and smokes marijuana and then ends up on something much stronger?

3. What kind of a parent needs a drug to cope with their life?

Ugh. The head-slapping stupidity is mind-boggling. I am guessing that none of these people has ever smoked marijuana, especially after reading the charming, judgmental comments from the poster who admits to not knowing what a one-hitter is.

So let me just answer these questions as a fellow pot-smoking parent, who is not currently in possession of any weed. $#&*^)#(^$&)*^

1. My kids know and they seem to be fine with it. They seem fine but I am sure that in this mother-hating culture they will grow up and blame me for all of their problems. I'll make sure to send them over to Babble so they can come up with more things to blame me for.

2. There is no gateway effect. It doesn't exist. It's reefer madness cooked up by the DEA and the ONDCP and Partnership for a Drug-free America. You are being lied to so the government can justify throwing people in jail for smoking the wrong plants.

3. I am not sure why parents are held up to this ridiculously high standard. When you become a parent you do not lose your humanity or your need to have a little fun once in a while. Expecting people to never smoke weed or drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes or eat sugar is unreasonable and pointless. Kids do not need a supermom. A human being will do just fine.

* Babble seems like the place to go to get your self esteem knocked down a peg or two. Bad Parent: Birthdays gone wild and Straight to the Bottle were just two of the parent-bashing articles I was treated to.

Drug Prevention Starts Early and It Starts At Home

This article doesn't really seem that bad at first glance. It gives parents some helpful advice about their truly legitimate fear that their children will use marijuana which will then lead to heroin. And nobody wants that for the children, right?

After all, it is true that Canada has the highest rate of marijuana use in the industrialized world. 16.8% of the population used marijuana in the last year!* That's a lot of pot-smoking hippies. As I was reading this article I was thinking that we are all so reefer madness indoctrinated that this seems fairly innocuous. I spend a lot of time thinking about drug policy and I often do not see the reefer madness that is right in front of me. Take this statement from that article:

Those with parents who need alcohol and other drugs to take the edge off or to have fun are likely to grow up with a similar appreciation for substances.

All the parents are nodding their heads in agreement. Kids do what their parents do! So if we stay drug-free, our kids will be drug-free too.

But let's take that very same sentence and replace it with other commonly enjoyed substances:

Those with parents who need coffee and other drugs to take the edge off or to have fun are likely to grow up with a similar appreciation for substances.

Those with parents who need sugar and other drugs to take the edge off or to have fun are likely to grow up with a similar appreciation for substances.

Sounds kind of stupid now, doesn't it? What is so bad about having fun anyway? I love coffee and nobody would bother to condemn me for my 4 cup a day habit. But if I dare to admit to my nightly pot-smoking ritual hoo-doggies the condemnation would be swift. This kind of thinking drives me nuts. It makes me wish I had some weed.

*It should be 100%.

Cool Quote

Even if they don't become alcoholics, teens who drink too much may suffer impaired memory and other learning problems, says Aaron White of Duke University Medical Center, who studies adolescent alcohol use. He says parents should think twice about offering alcohol to teens because their brains are still developing and are more susceptible to damage than adult brains. "If you're going to do that, I suggest you teach them to roll joints, too," he says, "because the science is clear that alcohol is more dangerous than marijuana."

I found this in an MSNBC article about The Teen Drinking Dilemma. I would take this as an invitation to teach my teenagers that letting them smoke marijuana is A-OK. I do suspect that White is suggesting that alcohol is worse than demon weed so we better save the children and make sure they stay far away from alcohol. It's even worse than marijuana and we all know how bad that stuff is for you.

Family Values Up in Smoke

Mrs. Lovejoy is not pleased. Parents are a bad influence on their children when they smoke marijuana together. Won't someone please think of the children???

The only thing is, the children in this article all happen to be adults with the exception of the 8 year old kid whose mom gave him marijuana to treat his ADHD. But I guess telling the truth wouldn't sell very many papers, would it?

I have a terrible, terrible confession to make. This one time when my mom had a back-ache, I rolled her a joint and we smoked it together. I am a bad influence on parents! I must be stopped.

I also have to wonder why it is acceptable to give your pre-pubescent children crystal meth Desoxyn but it's not OK to give your kids marijuana. In a sane world, no parent would go to jail or be derided in a major newspaper for giving a kid a substance that is safer than sugar. It boggles the mind!

Even more puzzling, the Chatham Daily News published this glowing editorial about marijuana last week. What gives?

Won't Somebody PLEASE Think of the Children?

A study being released today of more than 10 million online messages written by teens in the past year shows they regularly chat about drinking alcohol, smoking pot, partying and hooking up. The Caron Treatment Centers, a non-profit program in Wernersville, Pa., that also funds research into drug addiction, commissioned the study by Nielsen BuzzMetrics.

Nielsen analysts used a computer program to search blogs, public chat rooms, message boards and other places that attract teens. About 2% of the posts specifically mentioned drugs or alcohol.

The study offers insight into what teens talk about online and classifies the messages into common themes. Many of the teens who posted messages about drugs or alcohol often traded information about using illicit substances without getting hurt or caught. Some teens debated drug legalization and the drinking age. Other teens recounted their partying experiences, including sexual liaisons while drunk or high, the study says.

Now kids are talking about drinking and partying on the internet instead of just talking about it while they are drinking and partying. NOOOOO!!!!!

This was my favorite part:

The misinformation on the Internet about drugs is staggering, says Carol Falkowski, director of research communications for Hazelden Foundation, an addiction treatment, education and research center in Center City, Minn. "What kids used to learn about drugs on street corners, they now learn online," Falkowski says. The Internet "erases geographic and social boundaries," she says. "Kids who live in remote areas can develop a camaraderie online of drug-abusing kids. They can share stories about drug experiences."

Better stay away from Pushing Back. The drug czar lies constantly. I would trust the dopiest myspace teen over THAT guy.

Another of my crummy LTE's

I got this published on Saturday:

PROTECT CHILDREN BY ENDING UNPRODUCTIVE WAR ON DRUGS

The article, Drug house parents face charges ( SP, June 5 ), illustrates perfectly what a complete disaster our drug policy has been for families.

In response to the dangers posed by "toxic marijuana grow operations," Alberta passed legislation that allows removing children from dangerous situations posed by drugs.

The Drug Endangered Children Act is a Band-Aid. If we are truly sincere in our desire to protect children from the dangers of a house full of plants, legalizing marijuana would be the best way to achieve that goal.

In the same way that ending the prohibition of alcohol put an end to stills and bootlegging, legalizing marijuana would put an end to grow-ops.

The war on drugs has made it very profitable to grow plants indoors under heat lamps that waste a lot of electricity. In a legal market, nobody would choose to grow marijuana indoors. The only way to eliminate the environmental impact of grow-ops is to legislate them out of existence.

We claim to care about children and the environment, yet the government continues the war on drugs. Exaggerating the risks posed by marijuana grow-ops gives readers what they expect in a story about drug house parents. But it does not tell the whole story.

There are better ways to save the children.

Wawota and Reefer Madness

Latest News: Star Phoenix Article

I am finding the situation in Wawota is hitting a little too close to home for me these days. I work for the Saskatoon Public School division and a tiny part of me identifies with the reefer madness indoctrinated school principal who probably still believes that she was just doing the right thing for her students. Knowing and understanding reefer madness as well as I do, as well as the nature of small communities, it was only a matter of time before a situation like this blew up. I remember how I felt when I discovered that the school system taught kids some pretty hyped up exaggerations and lies, all in the name of keeping kids away from drugs.

When the RCMP came to our school when I was in about grade 6 or 7 with glass suitcases filled with illegal drugs that I had never heard of, it did make me curious to try them. “Marijuana causes hallucinations and temporary insanity? That sounds like fun!“ I remember bragging to my friends that I had used marijuana to increase my street cred, (I was lying). My favorite question to ask authority figures about drugs was “Why do people use drugs if they cause all these bad things?” The explanations that I was given were not convincing. I did not believe that people used drugs because they were addicts. Why did they become addicts? My questions made people uncomfortable, so pretty soon I learned to stop asking. Public school for me was nothing more than a giant indoctrination camp from start to finish. I was an atheist that repeated the Lord's Prayer every single day!

It sounds like Kieran did not learn to properly submit to needless authority. I did not learn the truth about the war on drugs until I was in my adulthood. And I have to tell you that learning that our educational and health care professionals lied about the risks of illegal drugs on a regular basis was very disconcerting. If I had figured this out during my troublesome teen years I can assure you that I would have wished I had the courage to do what Kieran did.

Standing up to your peers in your school is a pretty difficult thing to do and has resulted in some bad feelings in Wawota. This is apparent from the emails in my inbox and the posts on CC from members of the community. It sounds like he will be dragged through the small town rumor mill. I know how much fun that is. When I lived in a certain unnameable small town, I was often referred to as an outspoken, attractive young woman with a generous sexual appetite. These compliments were often bestowed upon me in slightly more vulgar terms but I certainly got the gist of what the frustrated, hormonal teenage boys were saying. They were displeased because I politely declined their requests for sexual servicing. Being a sexually frustrated teenage boy is an unbearably difficult fate. I get that. Some of the things I have been hearing about Kieran behind the scenes are equally as stupid. The accusations are pure guttersnipe and not worth repeating.

According to Kieran’s post on Cannabis Culture, he was doing some informal research about the nature of illegal and legal drug use within Wawota and Carlyle schools. Here is the attachment detailing his research. It seems unbelievable that the school would have over-reacted to this situation to such a degree. To be dragged through the mud and to be accused of being a drug dealer based on asking some direct questions about drug use amazes me. I hope that this situation will be rectified and Kieran won't have a black mark on his school record. At the very least, this situation has gotten members of the community to engage in some debate about this subject.

Let's just say that right now I am feeling very unhappy with the public education system that I am a part of. I agree with the quote at the end of the Star Phoenix article:

An education institution whose objective should be to foster independent thinking and research to mold bright young minds shouldn't be trying to herd kids' behind some line of intellectual conformity.

I am very proud of Kieran for standing up for democracy.

Some Really Terrible Parenting Advice

Q: My daughter swore me to secrecy before telling me her girlfriend is still smoking pot even though her parents think otherwise. Her parents knew she used to smoke pot. My daughter thinks she can handle it better now. Should I tell the girl's parents and break my promise to my daughter?

A: I advise parents to err on the side of safety and well-being. Assuming the girlfriend's parents are reasonable and nonabusive, I would certainly go ahead and tell them.

Worrying about her parents getting angry or upset is not the same as being abusive and you may have to help your daughter understand this difference.

Further, even though you promised your daughter otherwise, her friend is at risk and needs help. You cannot be held to secrecy on a bad promise when someone's well-being is at risk.

In case your daughter thinks smoking pot is innocuous, consider this: cannabis alters perceptions of reality and judgment.

Not only is this child at risk from many issues associated with smoking alone, but also, statistically, those who do smoke pot have more school-related problems and social problems. Girls are at greater risk of pregnancy as a result of poor decision making and being with the wrong crowd while intoxicated.

Therefore, the risk of smoking pot extends far beyond what your daughter may consider. Knowing this now, wouldn't you want to be told if your child were smoking pot?

Gary Direnfeld is a Dundas social worker specializing in parent-child relationships.

Are you kidding me? The kid should be congratulated for being smart enough to stay away from tobacco, alcohol and caffeine. It never ceases to amaze me how rampant reefer madness truly is. I wonder if, statistically speaking, social workers are more likely to suffer from reefer madness than the rest of the population.

Pregnancy Sucks

I have no qualms admitting that pregnancy was torture. The physical changes to your body make you feel like an alien has taken over. Spending months eating nothing but spaghetti noodles due to uncontrollable nausea is even less fun than it sounds. And why can't people quit telling me to eat healthy food and quit drinking coffee? Coffee causes miscarriages. And forget about smoking weed! If I had been able to overcome my own guilt at the idea of irreparably damaging my fine, little fetus with marijuana smoke, the condemnation of friends and family would have been enough to keep me from wanting a smoke. Luckily, the idea of smoking a joint had no appeal for me while I was pregnant. But the fact is that carrying a fetus does not make it any easier to abstain from doing the things you love, even for the sake of the baby. Beer and coffee taste just as good (unless you are spending all your free time puking).

But the know-it-all busybodies have no qualms about reminding you that everything is bad for the fetus. Better not have a drink or your kid will end up with fetal alcohol syndrome. Better not change the cat litter box or you will get toxoplasmosis and your baby will die or be born blind. Better not drink coffee. Or eat cheese.

I recently found a great new blog called DoseNation with an excellent post about pregnancy hysteria. Apparently there is no good reason for medical professionals to tell pregnant women to completely abstain from alcohol. One glass a wine a day will not harm the unborn fetus. But you will never, ever hear that from a health professional or well-intentioned busybody. Better safe than sorry, you know.

I remember trying to convince one of my pregnant friends that the toxoplasmosis fears are over-stated and changing the litterbox is not dangerous. I can understand that she needed a reason to make her man clean up after the cats but there is no reason to fear changing the litterbox while pregnant.

Besides, if a pregnant woman had to abstain from every activity that is just as dangerous as changing the litter box she had better not drive a car, use a cell phone or go ice skating. I used to ice skate while pregnant just to annoy people. Since I can skate better than I can walk my fetus was never in danger. But you would never know it by listening to my ridiculous friends and family.

Maybe we should just make it illegal for a pregnant woman to leave the house. For the sake of the fetus. Because women can't be trusted to do what is best for their health.

Speaking of awesome pregnant women, check out preggers Jenna Elfman in a game of basketball. This video made my day. This video is not work safe.

The viewpoint of your average drug prohibitionist

The letters to the editor section of the newspaper has always been my favorite reading material. You can get a good idea about how a large majority of the newspaper reading public feels about a particular issue. Or you can see the views of wackjobs amplified. This morning I bring you a letter to the editor from L. Rebeccah-Jean Robinson published in the Victoria News.

I have been seeing a lot on the news and in the papers over the rights of “pot smokers” these days.

Where are the rights of non-pot-smokers? I know folks personally and people I have just chatted with in the general public who’ve stated to me that pot smoke gave them head-aches, body pain and blocked sinuses when they did experiment with it or were just simply exposed to it.

I happen to be one of those people. I tried it in 2004 with a couple of friends as I heard all this new evidence that it takes body pain away. Well, it didn’t. As a matter of fact, it gave us severe head-aches.

We all have fibromyalgia, chronic pain and arthritis and it only worsened our conditions. Also, our minds felt like vegetables and we were immobile for many hours to come.

Did you try a bong or a vaporizer? That might help but even if pot is the worst thing in the world for you, there is a simple solution to this dilemma: Don't smoke pot.

I personally don't smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol or take prescription medications or ride motorcycles or star in porn films. In fact, I take great pains to avoid all of the above activities. But in no way does that mean that I wish to throw people in jail for doing things that I personally dislike.

Do you see how this works? The only thing that pot-smokers want is the freedom to grow, sell and distribute their medicine or their favorite recreational substance without being thrown in prison. It's just that simple.

There are many people now who possess exemptions to legally smoke pot and I’m sure there are those who don’t abuse that privilege, however, there are those who do. And those who live in complexes are affected by that pot smoke in hallways and courtyards must know it’s harmful to those like me.

I’m not a cigarette smoker, but I’ve also been hearing about how cigarette smoking is going to be illegal on ferry boats, parks (and patios for smoking that aren’t hurting the non-smokers.)

Well, there’s something pretty backwards in our society because cigarettes are not illegal. Also, they don’t cause car accidents due to being high. Yet, thousands sat on the lawn of the parliament buildings recently, lobbying for pot not to be illegal and got stoned on pot. No one was arrested.

Oh boy. They always have to focus on the stoners. I can assure you that a lot of us feel that the prohibition of drugs is a civil rights issue and non-pot-smokers also show up at the rallies to show their support for the end of the drug war. After all, they are tax-payers too and don't like seeing their money wasted on ineffective social policies. I don't think this letter writer has given much thought as to the consequences of jailing cigarette smokers.

This system is unfair. I smell pot smoke downtown all the time now and there are no cops around enforcing the law; they’re too busy confiscating knapsacks.

Anyway, all I am saying, is there are those to consider who feel completely the opposite about pot – it truly hurts us; it doesn’t help us; it hinders us; we’re allergic to it and even though we may not be smoking it, we still have to be affected by it in our homes and on city streets. This society has become so politically correct that government has taken leave of its senses.

What about the children of parents who have tickets to smoke pot. Is this not going to affect and harm those kids in the long run? Does it give them a choice, whether they want to be exposed to it or not?

She ends off by whining about all the pot-smokers that are staying out of jail despite their dirty, illegal habits. As for the parents of pot-smokers, I would think that smoking outside would be a good way to SAVE THE CHILDREN!!11 It works for me. The health and safety of my children is threatened more by the knives in my kitchen drawers. I wonder how much second-hand car exhaust the little darlings inhale on the walk home from school. My solution is to ban cars. You like driving cars? Well too bad, the children must be saved.

This is the mindset of a lot of people that oppose reforming our drug policy. How do we reach these people? How do we get them to see that this issue effects everybody? How do we get them to see that this has nothing to do with promoting drug use?

Tell me something I don't know

New Studies Destroy the Last Objection to Medical Marijuana

New research on "vaporization" has demonstrated that all those fears about the ill effects of smoking marijuana are 100 percent obsolete.

Anyone who advocates for medical marijuana sooner or later runs into arguments about smoking: "No real medicine is smoked." "Smoking is bad for the lungs; why would any doctor recommend something so harmful?" It's a line of reasoning that medical marijuana opponents have used to great effect in Congress, state legislatures, and elsewhere. Indeed, the FDA's controversial 2006 statement opposing medical marijuana was couched in repeated references to "smoked marijuana."

I'm sure that the Drug Czar will write about that on his blog any day now.

Hmmm let's see what the Drug Czar has put about medical marijuana on his blog. He has a repugnant letter from Dennis Hastert that is overflowing with reefer madness.

At a time when recent trends in youth drug use have shown a significant downturn, I was disturbed by your recent editorial "Legalize medical marijuana" in support of state legislation to permit the growth of marijuana for medical purposes.

As a former schoolteacher and coach and father of two, I believe in giving our kids a drug-free future. Illegal drugs are responsible for the loss of 17,000 American lives annually, and marijuana is by far the most used and abused of these drugs. More kids use marijuana than cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and all other illicit drugs combined. Legislation that allows, supports or recognizes marijuana as a medicine is irresponsible, shortsighted and sends the wrong message to our youth.

You would never know from this letter that nobody has ever died from using marijuana. I wonder why a former schoolteacher and coach and father of two would write such a misleading letter. Hey I know! Maybe being a parent doesn't stop you from getting paid to lie to people.

Why would it matter to youths that we allow a patient stricken with AIDS or cancer to treat themselves with medical marijuana? We allow all sorts of dangerous drugs to be used in the course of medicine without worrying about the messages it sends. What message does it send to children when we allow crystal meth to be prescribed to kids to treat their ADHD?

We want your Pee!

Teachers in Hawaii are up in arms over their contract negotiations. Anybody who is familiar with the education system will realize that this is nothing new. But Hawaii has added a new twist to their contract. They are offering the teachers a juicy 4% per year raise. If the teachers agree to mandatory drug testing.

This has lead to a predictable reaction. Some teachers, desparate for a pay raise, are lining up to hand over their pee (and their fourth ammendment rights). After all, the only people that object to drug testing are drug users with something to hide! It's not as if urine can reveal a lot of personal information about a person, such as pregnancy or medical conditions. It's not as if drug testing is costly and ineffective. Besides, won't someone please think of the children?

Although hotly debated, the opposition to this costly intrusion of the civil rights of teachers is far from unanimous.

"It's hard to vote against your paycheck, and that's one of the things a lot of people are really upset about," Rohr said.

Governor Lingle's strategy of bribing the teachers appears to be very effective. I am happy to report that there are some very unhappy teachers opposing drug testing.

Robert Dircks, principal at Hilo High School, said some of his staff believe the drug testing is evidence of a "sellout" of teachers' rights by the Hawaii State Teachers Association, while other teachers are comfortable with drug testing and want the 8 percent raises and the 3 percent salary step increase being offered in the two-year package.

Dircks, who won't be covered by the proposed contract, said he will be glad when today's vote is over.

"I'm trying to act as a referee here, but when it starts impacting instruction, I have a problem with that, and emotions are so high that the kids are feeling it, and something's got to give here," he said.

Deborah Lynn Dickerson, a veteran counselor at Keonepoko Elementary School in Puna on the Big Island, said Gov. Linda Lingle's demand for the drug-testing program treats teachers as if they were parolees subjected to mandatory testing after they are released from prison.

"I don't want it in my contract. I don't want to have my constitutional rights taken away in exchange for what I consider a piddly raise in the beginning," Dickerson said. "We have a right to be treated as professionals."

Not in my Backyard

Some local "Christian" hypocrites are opposed to a detox centre being located next to their precious little school. These people have spent years drinking the reefer madness kool-aid and have absolutely no idea how the illegal drug market works. Case in point:

The region has its sights on an 11.7-acre parcel of land southeast of the city for a 24-bed youth stabilization centre for teens with addiction problems. Six of those beds will be for kids who have been ordered into treatment by a judge.

The proposal has raised the ire of some of the parents of the 256 students who attend the Saskatoon Christian School, located next to the site of the proposed detox centre.

Parents are worried youth may wander from the treatment facility to the schoolyard. They're also concerned visitors to the centre will include drug dealers, enabling the youth to use drugs while in treatment.

No self-respecting drug dealer needs to recruit users at a detox center. They recruit themselves.

Luckily for me, an excellent response appeared in the Star Phoenix today.

Christian parents' opposition to youth detox centre absurd
The StarPhoenix
Published: Thursday, April 12, 2007

Re: School parents group opposes location of youth detox centre (SP, March 29). I cannot believe that a group of Christians would be part of a "not in my backyard" group.

For these parents to oppose a treatment center for youth who've lost their way and are attempting to better their lives just because the proposed location is next to their precious private school is ridiculous and hypocritical.

I was raised in a religious family and was taught always to "love thy neighbour as thyself."

The parents are afraid the detox center will bring an "unwanted element" to their location and their children will be exposed to drugs. It's laughable. I am sure that a detox centre would be rigorously policed for this sort of thing.

If these parents want to raise their children in a sterile and completely safe environment, they are sadly deluded. Their children are in for a rude awakening when they graduate to the real world.

All around us we see church youth groups going to South America and other Third World countries to help the less fortunate and to spread their faith. Yet, somehow we cannot help the less fortunate in our own backyard. How Christian is that?

These people need to rethink their position and the bad publicity it is causing for the entire Christian community.

I have lived for 15 years and raised a family within a mile of Yarrow Youth Farm and Red Willow Treatment Centre and no-one is any worse for it.

If there were a proposal to expand Red Willow to include a teen detox centre, I'd welcome it. At least the clients there are trying to make their lives better.

Randy W. Klingenberg

Saskatoon

Thanks for writing this, Randy. Christian hypocrisy should be called out as often as possible.

Health Canada can't control psychedelic herb

OTTAWA — A common garden herb that packs a powerful psychedelic punch has some federal health officials recommending strict controls.

Health Canada, however, says it cannot regulate the use of salvia divinorum until there is more evidence of its dangers.

Department documents obtained by the Canadian Press under Access to Information law say salvia is being used by adolescents and young adults for its hallucinogenic properties.

A December, 2005, report by the marketed health products directorate, an arm of Health Canada, recommends that salvia be placed under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Department spokesman Jason Bouzanis said salvia has been known to cause hallucinations, out-of-body experiences, unconsciousness and short-term memory loss. But that is not enough to declare it illegal.

“We can't make any recommendations to place salvia under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act schedules until we have sufficient scientific and empirical data that concludes it has the potential for misuse and abuse,” Mr. Bouzanis said.

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Sometimes when I am reading another typical piece of drug war propaganda, I get a little pissed about all the ways that the media falls for it hook, line and sinker. First they talk about all the ways that the latest drug is harmful and dangerous. They did it with marijuana, crack cocaine and meth. This salvia divinorum reefer madness article is just another example of the media's support of prohibition. Not once is the notion that prohibiting a drug the best way to control and regulate it even questioned. Just look at the people they quoted in the article: a department spokesman for Health Canada, an RCMP sergeant, and a professor of pharmacology. All of them promoted prohibiting salvia as a way to control it and "Save the children!"

“Salvia is the world's most potent naturally occurring hallucinogen,” he said.

“You wouldn't want to be driving a car, or you wouldn't want to be on a balcony in a high building so the concern is that if individuals were to take a sufficient dose, they might get themselves or others into trouble.

“The distribution is totally unregulated so unsuspecting teens or even children younger than teenage years might chance upon it and that's a recipe for disaster.”

Obviously it would be counterproductive to mention that the prohibition of drugs has not reduced the number of kids using drugs.

Guess who they asked for a dissenting view of the prohibition of salvia. Did they ask a drug policy reformer, scientist or politician? Nope, they asked the owner of a headshop.

“Salvia is so intense, most people only try it once or twice,” said Ryan (Big P) Poelzer, who works at the Urban Shaman, a popular botanical store in downtown Vancouver.

He said the store sells at least fifty pills every week, mainly to people between the ages of 19 and 25.

Mr. Poelzer, 20, described his experiences using salvia as “mind blowing” and “out of this world.”

“You don't think you're in this world and you don't think you're coming back. It's like going into outer space. Time being ripped in half is a good way of describing it.

“It's definitely the most powerful psychedelic out there.”

Despite the blatantly biased propaganda in this piece, I did manage to find something to smile about. Take a gander at some of the quotes I found in the comments:

John E7 from Salt Spring Island, Canada writes: Jeez peanuts are more dangerous than this stuff. I'm surprised the RCMP does not go after peanuts, it actually kills. And I wonder how many times a drunken rowdy has uttered threats against an officer ;)'
utoob has some vids of kids under the influence of the stuff. Looks like fun but I'm too old for that type of entertainment.
BC bud will be a thing of the past as giant fields of salvia blossom...

Mark Orr from Toronto, Canada writes: Oh Give it up. Natives up north are sniffing gasoline, why don't they ban gasoline? And if they did, why not ban glue....then any volatile petroleum...... some people want to get high, nothing you can do to stop it. You just end up criminalizing more of the population and causing more damage.

Reg Walker from toronto, Canada writes: When Uncle Sam decides this drug of concern should be illegal the rest of the world will have to do likewise. It will not be long.

Free Your Mind from Toronto, Canada writes: No sooner does a safe (if used responsibly) entheogen drug become widely available than the killjoys in the general media start demonizing it and the anti-privacy forces in government start looking for a way to ban it. God forbid people should be able to explore their consciousness, gain insights into themselves inaccessible through everyday rat-race mentality, or just plain have fun. Oh, but *alcohol's* okay, even though it has caused far more injuries, deaths, and broken up more families, than a herb used harmlessly by Mexican aboriginals for millenia ever could. Stop the War on Drugs NOW!

Grey Rabbit from Canada writes: thanks for the info, looks like i gotta try some of this stuff

This is just a small sampling of the positive responses in that thread. Very few people seem to be falling for the pro-drug-war propaganda, despite the best efforts of the media. This post practically wrote itself.

Principal caught naked watching porn, pointless laws ensue

It is entirely understandable that parents are concerned about the case of Principal John Acerra, who was busted for using and selling meth at school. When he was busted, he was in his office naked while watching pornography.

So what is the best way to save the children? What is the tool being pushed in American schools to keep everybody drug-free? Drug testing!

I understand that when a shocking story like this happens that people feel the need to do something about it. But we have to make sure that our actions are actually helpful. Would drug-testing have prevented this story from taking place?

It is interesting to me the way that this story is being reported. The Morning Call Online portrays him in a sympathetic light as a troubled man in need of help. This newscast from WFMZ-TV heavily emphasizes the save the children aspect of this story. Saving the children requires peeing in a cup.

I highly doubt that the invasion of privacy, the potential for lawsuits and the expense involved in implementing random drug testing could possibly be worth it.

I would also like to point out that crystal meth does not stay in the body for a long enough period of time to show up in a drug test. Drug testing is not going to be an effective deterrant for a crystal meth user.

More young people smoke pot than tobacco, survey finds

A Vancouver Coastal Health survey has found that most youth in Vancouver start smoking marijuana before their 15th birthday, not long after their first whiff of tobacco or sip of beer.

The city-wide survey of youth aged 16 to 24 shows cannabis sativa is the illicit drug of first choice for today's young people.

Almost seven out of every 10 of those surveyed (68 per cent) said they had tried marijuana at least once.

That's a lot of kids smoking marijuana. 70% of kids smoking weed is quite shocking, even for me. I never saw marijuana until I was 18. I would never have known where to get it before that.

It's a good thing it's illegal. [/sarcasm]

Naked Principal Found With Sex Toys Watching Gay Porn In Office

EWWWWWW! The headline says it all.

As authorities stormed into a middle school office to arrest an alleged meth-dealing principal inside, they found an even more surprising scene inside.

Sources said 50-year-old John Acerra, of Allentown, was naked and watching gay pornography when they arrived at Nitschmann Middle School in Bethlehem to arrest him on Tuesday.

Acerra also had sex toys, drugs, cash and a pipe in his school office when authorities stormed his office, the sources added.

I wonder if he will face the same fate as Ted Haggard. Will he go and pray away the gay?

I bet the trouble started with that first hit of a marijuana cigarette.

Seriously though, if you wanted to come up with a sordid, made-for-television, parent's-worst-nightmare scenario, could you do any better than a gay, sex-toy loving school principal dealing crystal meth out of his office? My imagination fails to come up with a more titillating scenario.

I wonder what kind of severance package he gets. I hope that my man is right when he said, "Let's hope it's at the neck."

Marijuana Mommies

* Image stolen from Slate.

Over at Chikii there is an interesting interview with some "Marijuana Mommies". It was a fairly balanced discussion about the use of marijuana and the parenting issues associated with being a parent and a marijuana user. I was pleased that the host did not fall back on making judgmental statements about the parenting abilities of mothers that choose to use marijuana. It was not a re-run of the "Mommy Wars". It is apparent to me that the public is in desperate need of knowledge about drugs, especially marijuana. I found it interesting that a marijuana user would make the statement that marijuana should not be legal because "it isn't something that people should be doing." That was odd. Even the marijuana moms seemed to be unaware that smoking marijuana is not comparable to smoking cigarettes. At least they are aware that smoking marijuana is much safer than using alcohol. I really enjoyed the discussion about the practicalities of having an illegal habit and discussing it (or not) with your children. It was great stuff! I do find it unfortunate that the women were filmed in silhouette to conceal their identities. I hope to live to see the day when people will agree to publicly identify as marijuana users and it won't be a big deal. This interview is a nice counter to reefer madness propaganda.

But then Chikii decided to interview an organization called "Not My Kid". My opinion of this organization can be summed up thusly "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." The contrast between the interview with the marijuana mommies and the members of "Not My Kid" were profound.

They repeated many of John Walter's favorite reefer madness talking points. They state that today's marijuana is not the same marijuana that was smoked in the sixties. They don't bother to discuss why the potency of marijuana has increased over the years. The drug war has made producing and selling marijuana much more difficult and dangerous. They also don't mention that even if the marijuana was 100% THC it would still be impossible to have a fatal overdose. In fact, since THC does not cause cancer, smoking more potent marijuana could be arguably safer than smoking less potent marijuana. Marijuana users smoke until they get the desired effect and then they stop. Getting too high is a waste of good weed. You are exposed to less smoke by smoking more potent marijuana. These women should be congratulating the purveyors of fine BC Bud for making the marijuana safer!

They state that there are more twenty year olds in treatment for marijuana than any other drug. But they don't bother to mention that people that are arrested for possession or trafficking of marijuana are given two options. You can either go to re-hab or you can go to jail and get a criminal record which will have an impact on your future employment options. Shockingly, the majority of people choose re-hab. Who'da thunk-it eh? The statistics about marijuana users are over-inflated and do not reflect the number of users that actually need re-hab. The pearl-clutching about BC Bud was especially hysterical. I guess they didn't hear the news that Canada is not a significant supplier of marijuana to the United States.

They also mention the dangers of marijuana laced with stronger drugs such as heroin. "A young man got hooked on heroin without knowing it! He tested positive for heroin at a drug test!" First of all, drug tests have a high rate of false positives, so unless the positive result was confirmed at a lab, I would question the validity of the test. Second, I highly doubt that very many seasoned pot-smokers would be exposed to heroin without their knowledge. Finally, even if this story is true, these ladies fail to recognize that unregulated marijuana is the cause of laced weed. The best wayto insure the safety of marijuana is to legalize it.

Sometimes I wonder if these drug prohibitionists go to a secret camp where they learn all the appropriate strategies to terrify everybody into being afraid of marijuana and its' users. They always tell some meaningless anecdote about some kid that used marijuana and then went on to use hard drugs and ruin his life. They never bother to mention the millions of marijuana users that never go on to use hard drugs. I guess they wouldn't be drug prohibitionists if they didn't push the thoroughly debunked gateway theory. But the very best bit of stupid reefer madness propaganda was the following statement:

To think there is such a thing as responsible drug use is... it's just an oxy-moron.

Huh???? What about coffee-drinkers, beer-drinkers, prescription drug-users, users of over-the-counter drugs and medical marijuana patients? I suppose these are all irresponsible drug users?

Let me close with this: THE LEGAL STATUS OF A DRUG IS UNRELATED TO ITS' POTENTIAL TO CAUSE HARM. This could arguably be the most important message that drug policy reformers need to give to the public.

UPDATE: Fixed my stupid typos.